Who does she think she is?

Penny Townsend, B.A.

After a career as a Primary School Teacher and thanks to a life long interest in the Life and Works of Jane Austen I was invited to join the staff of the The Jane Austen Centre, Bath some seven years ago. My work at the Centre has covered giving introductory talks, serving in the shop, talking themed walks around Bath ang contributing to the magazine formerly published by The Centre.

In addition to this The Centre is often consulted by media on matters relating to the Eighteenth Century,. In this connection I have been volunteered to take my part in this sphere of activities.

As a result I have been interviewed by Mark Lawson in Front Row (Radio 4). I have appeared in Write Across the West (a series for local television about literary figures with local connections), Reader, I married Him, a Silver River production for BBC4 on the History of Romantic Fiction, with Daisy Goodwin. Becoming Jane, (a television programme f3eaturing Connie Huq of Blue Peter, in which she acquired the manners and accomplishments of the time) and Supersizers go Regency, with Sue Perkins and Giles Coren.

I regularly appear at the Jane Austen Festival held in September each year in Bath and give talks to local groups, especially Library Support Groups, Womens' Institutes, National Trust Supporters Groups etc.

I am a Life Member of the Jane Austen Society.

I should like to stress that I aim to make my talks entertaining as well as informative and see myself as an amateur rather than a scholarly high flyer, who enjoys sharing her enthusiasm to give pleasure and perhaps enlightenment to like minded persons.

Richard Townsend , LL.B (Hons)

Business Manager, Technical Consultant, and utterly indispensable Partner, with too many other supportive roles to ennumerate.